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Faking It

…and it got me thinking about how I really feel about fakes. This picture shows a chair that takes its inspiration from the Eames DAW chair. That’s the nice way of saying it. The other way of saying it is that it’s a fake. So I asked myself – is a fake so bad? This chair is kind of fun. But then again, the sales guy in the department store shoe department where I spotted it said that they used to have two, but one fell apart. According to my research, this patchwork version of the DAW costs about $165, while an authentic (non-patchwork) DAW chair made by Herman Miller costs more like $499. (Check them out here.) For the design lover on a budget, sometimes the authentic version is out of reach. But is the fake a good substitute for the real thing?

Some might say a fake chair is no different than a fake Rolex – put together with cheap materials in order to fool the eye into believing it’s real. That’s why no one with a fake Rolex has any hopes that it might one day be worn and enjoyed by their grandchildren – it’s never going to last that long. But with a real Rolex or a real Eames chair, passing it down to the grandchildren is a real possibility. On the other hand, a fake Rolex will still tell you what time it is, just like a fake Eames chair still gives you a place to sit. An authentic Eames chair is manufactured to an incredibly high standard of quality, while a knock-off is all looks – no fine craftsmanship here. In my opinion, the amazing quality of the materials and craftsmanship, as well as the attention to detail, is all part of the joy and beauty of the chair. With a cheap copy, that simply isn’t there.

One thought on “Faking It”

Totally agree, and along the same lines I always saddened by Louis Vuitton knock-offs. The beauty of the item comes from the history, the tradition, the artfulness, the attention to detail – and you get none of that with a cheap piece of plastic with a logo stamped on it.